Dual-outlet container closure



Feb. 15, 1966 J. A o 3,235,147

DUAL-OUTLET CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed July 30, 1963 22 Fig. 2 /3 M /6 W Flg. I 24 26 28 2/ 1 f L f l /3 INVENTOR.

John E. Ham/lion United States Patent 3,235,147 DUAL-OUTLET CONTAINERCLOSURE John E. Hamilton, Evanston, Ill., assignor to Standard OilCompany, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Indiana Filed July 30, 1963,Ser. No. 298,688 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-543) This invention relates todual-outlet container closures and particularly to dual-outlet containerclosures made of compressible materials.

My invention will be better understood by references to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings of a prefer-red embodimentthereof, wherein:

FIGURE 1 illustrates an elevational view, in partial section, of oneembodiment of the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 shows, in cut-away view, a closure of the present inventionpositioned in a container.

Broadly speaking the closure of the present invention is of the typeadapted to be received in a container having a circular aperture thereinsurrounded by an annular outwardly extending lip. The novel closure hasa spout of compressible material with a laterally extending annulargrooved seat having a frustro-conical section with a diameter at itsbase slightly greater than the diameter of the groove. Thefrusto-conical section depends radially inwardly from the seat in such away that the spout can become integral with a container of the typementioned above when the lip of the container is forced over thefrusto-conical section of the seat into the groove. At its other end thespout also has a frusto-conical section extending radially inwardly.This latter mouth section has a base slightly greater in diameter thanthe external diameter of the spout, which base forms a lip opposite andspaced apart from the seat. The mouth section is adapted to receive acover lid flexibly attached to the spout. The

cover lid has depending therefrom an annular outer wall and an annularinner wall of diameter smaller than the outer wall; thus, between theinner and outer walls an annulus is formed. An annular flange extendsinwardly on the inner side of the outer wall. Accordingly, the cover lidis adapted to snap tightly over the mouth of the spout when the lip onthe mouth section of the spout is forced over the flange on the coverlid. In this position the mouth of the spout is received in the annulusbetween the inner and outer wall of the cover lid to form a leakproofseal. The cover lid also contains a nozzle, the diameter of which issmall in comparison with the diameter of the mouth section of the spout.The nozzle has a fluid passageway therethrough so that fluid can flowthrough both the spout and the cover lid when the cover lid is snappedover the spout. The nozzle is sealed by suitable means such as aremovable cap flexibly attached thereto which can be snapped into placeover the nozzle opening.

It can thus be seen that the closure of the present invention provides aunitary structure of simple design which is readily adaptable for use inconjunction with conventional rigid containers to provide a meanswhereby the contents of the container may alternatively be dispensedrapidly in large volumes, i.e., by removing the cover lid and pouringfrom the spout, or by spraying smaller volumes through the nozzleopening when the cover lid is snapped over the mouth section of thespout and the nozzle cap is removed. An apparatus such as just describedabove employing the elements set forth in inter-related combination isparticularly suitable for use with multipurpose liquids. One applicationfor such a closure exists for example where the con-tents of aparticular container are useful both as paint thinner and charcoal firestarter. By opening the cover lid the contents may be dispensed infull-pour fashion as a paint thinner; however, when the cover lid ispressed over the mouth of the spout a seal is v formed so that byopening thevno zzjle may be sprayed as a small stream for igniting acharcoal burner.

Referring now to the drawings for purposes of illustration, theembodiment of FIGURE 1 has spout 11 which is fabricated fromcompressible material such as common plastics, i.e., naturalpolyethylene or the like. Spout 11 is circular in cross section and hasan internal diameter of inch. The internal diameter of spout 11 may belarger or smaller as the particular situation requires. Spout 11 has alaterally extending annular seat 12 with groove 13 cut therein. Thediameter of groove 13 is approximately that of the diameter of theannular lip on comtainers with which the closure is to be used.'Frustroconical section 14, having a diameter at its base slightlygreater than that of groove 13, depends radially inwardly from theunderside of seat 12. When seat 12 is pressed over the lip of acontainer as shown in FIGURE 2 frustro-conical section 14 is compressedslightly as it passes over the lip of the container after which section14 expands back to its original position and the container lip is forcedinto groove 13 and the spout becomes integral with the container.

Opposite seat 13 and spaced apart therefrom by approximately one-halfinch, spout 11 has mouth section 16. Mouth section 16 is frustro-conicaland its base is slightly larger than the external diameter of spout 11so that an overhanging lip 17 is formed. Frustro-conical mouth section16 is opposite to section 14 and extends radially inwardly.

The closure also has cover lid 20' flexibly attached to spent 11 bymeans of flexible strip 21. Lid 26 has a top surface 22 adapted to coverthe mouth section 16 of spout 11. Outer annular wall 23- having anannular flange 24 thereon depends from surface 22. Annular inner wall 26also depends from surface 22 and the space between inner wall 26 andouter wall 23 forms an annulus adapted to receive mouth section 16 ofspout 11 when lid 20 is pressed over lip 17 of mouth section 16. Thus,mouth section 16 is adapted to mate with cover lid 20 to form aleak-proof seal.

Cover lid 20 is further provided with nozzle 27 having therethroughfluid passageway 28. Passageway 28 is of small diameter in comparisonwith the internal diameter of spout 11 and in the illustrated embodimentis oneeighth inch in diameter. Nozzle 27 is covered with nozzle cap 29made of compressible material flexibly adapted to cover lid 20 by meansof flexible strip 31. The internal diameter of cap 29 is made so as toapproximate the diameter of nozzle 27. Accordingly, when cap 29 isforced over nozzle 27, both materials being flexible, nozzle 27 isslightly compressed and cover 29 is slightly expanded so that cover 2?becomes tightly, but removably, affixed to nozzle 27. Nozzle 27 may alsobe fabricated with its fluid passageway 28 closed by a seal which may beconveniently broken as by inserting a pin or shipping ofi the end ofnozzle 27. Such an embodiment would have particular utility inapplications where it would not be necessary to maintain a seal onpassageway 28 when reclosure is not being used in con trast to theillustrated embodiment.

The closure illustrated in detail in FIGURE 1 is designed to bepositioned in a container 34 as shown in FIGURE 2. Container 33 has anannular lip 34 which fits into groove 13 as illustrated in the cutawaysection. This particular construction is particularly advantageousbecause it permits fabrication of a container and closure independentlyof each other. Yet, when the two components are joined thecompressibility of the closure permits it to be forced over the lip ofthe container so that it becomes integral with the container and forms aleak-proof seal.

Thus, having described my invention, what is claimed therefrom saidouter wall having an inwardly extendis: ing annular flange thereon, saidannular inner wall 1. A dual-outlet dispensing closure of the typeadapted being of smaller diameter than said outer Wall and to bereceived in a container having a circular aperture spaced apart fromsaid outer wall to form an antherein surrounded by an annular outwardlyextending lip, 5 nulus adapted to receive the mouth section of said saidclosure consisting essentially of: spout to form a seal when the outerwall of said (a) a closure spout formed of a compressible material lidis snapped over the frustro-conical mouth secand having a first fluidpassage therethrough, a tion of said spout, said lid further having anozzle shoulder member extending radially outwardly from of smalldiameter in comparison with said spout, said spout, a vertical annulargroove on the under- 10 said nozzle extending from said lid and saidnozneath side of said shoulder encircling said spout, a zle having afluid passage therethrough to permit irustro-conical section dependingfrom said shoulder fluid flow through said aperture. member, thediameter of said frustro-conical sec- 2. The closure of claim 1 having anozzle cap flexibly tion as its base being slightly greater than theattached to said cover lid. inside diameter of said groove, said sectionex- 15 tending radially inwardly from said base, said spout RefereflcesCitfid y tlle Emmi! being adapted to become integral with said con-UNITED STATES PATENTS tainer when the lip of said container is forcedover the frustoconical section into said groove, said 2110769 3/1938Kuck et a1 222 545X 2,986,309 5/1961 Larson 222543 X spout furtherhaving a mouth section ad acent its 20 1 d b h M b h 3,016,168 1/1962Larson 222-543 X upner e11 Sal mm W 2 mom 3,117,703 1/1964 Henchert 222543 X section having a frustro-conical form W1th a base 3,122287 2/1964Makowski 222 543 X slightly greater than the external diameter of saidspout and extending radially inwardly toward the up- OTHER REFERENCESper end of said spout, said mouth section encircling 1,14 ,785 Germanprinted application Jan. 24, 1 the upper end of said spout; and, Heisleret al.

(b) a cover lid flexibly attached to said spout said lid having anannular inner and outer wall depending RAPHAEL LUPO P'jmary Examine"-

1. A DUAL-OUTLET DISPENSING CLOSURE OF THE TYPE ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVEDIN A CONTAINER HAVING A CIRCULAR APERTURE THEREIN SURROUNDED BY ANANNULAR OUTWARDLY EXTENDING LIP, SAID CLOSURE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF:(A) A CLOSURE SPOUT FORMED OF A COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL AND HAVING A FIRSTFLUID PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, A SHOULDER MEMBER EXTENDING RADIALLYOUTWARDLY FROM SAID SPOUT, A VERTICAL ANNULAR GROOVE ON THE UNDERNEATHSIDE OF SAID SHOULDER ENCIRCLING SAID SPOUT, A FRUSTRO-CONICAL SECTIONDEPENDING FROM SAID SHOULDER MEMBER, THE DIAMETER OF SAID FRUSTO-CONICALSECTION AS ITS BAASE BEING SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE INSIDE DIAMETER OFSAID GROOVE, SAID SECTION EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID BASE,SAID SPOUT BEING ADAPTED TO BECOME INTEGRAL WITH SAID CONTAINER WHEN THELIP OF SAID CONTAINER IS FORCED OVER THE FRUSTO-CONICAL SECTION INOTSAID GROOVE, SAID SPOUT FURTHER HAVING A MOUTH SECTION ADJACENT ITSUPPER END ABOVE SAID SHOULDER MEMBER, SAID MOUTH SECTION HAVING AFRUSTO-CONICAL FORM WITH A BASE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE EXTERNALDIAMETER OF SAID SPOUT AND EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY TOWARD THE UPPEREND OF SAID SPOUT, SAID MOUTH SECTION ENCIRCLING THE UPPER END OF SAIDSPOUT; AND, (B) A COVE LID FLEXIBLY ATTACHED TO SAID SPOUT SAID LIDHAVING AN ANNULAR INNER AND OUTE WALL DEPENDING THEREFROM SAID OUTERWALL HAVING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING ANNULAR FLANGE THEREON, SAID ANNULARINNER WALL BEING OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN SAID OUTER WALL AND SPACEDAPART FROM SAID OUTER WALL TO FORM AN ANNULUS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THEMOUTH SECTION OF SAID SPOUT TO FORM A SEAL WHEN THE OUTER WALL OF SAIDLID IS SNAPPED OVER THE FRUSTRO-CONICAL MOUTH SECTION OF SAID SPOUT,SAID LID FURTHER HAVING A NOZZLE OF SMALL DIAMETER IN COMPARISON WITHSAID SPOUT, SAID NOZZLE EXTENDING FROM SAID LID AND SAID NOZZLE HAVING AFLUID PASSAGE THERETHROUGH TO PERMIT FLUID FLOW THROUGH SAID APERTURE.